Always
by EndlessMidnightSky
Summary: Set five years after Mockingjay. Annie and her son are at the seashore. Life goes on even when loved ones leave you. But if you love them enough, they're never really gone.


**I wrote this for my friend a few weeks ago. The two of us are Hunger Games mad and we went to see the film together on the first Saturday it was out. We've both read all three books and she's obssessed with the one and only Finnick Odair. I am as well, but not as much. Thresh for me.**

**Anyway, so this is set about five years after the events of _Mockingjay_ and features Annie and her son who I've decided to call Reef.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Annie, Finnick or their son. However, I do claim the name Reef and the plotline.  
**

* * *

It's been almost five years.

Five years since the Districts rose up in rebellion. Five years since the Capitol fell and the nightmare known as the Hunger Games ended.

Five years since my Finnick was killed.

People told me that the pain would ease with time. People who had lost loved ones of their own. Haymitch, Enobaria, Johanna, Beetee… But it doesn't. The pain never really goes away. It's like a huge hole has been torn through my heart. The hole was filled slightly with the birth of my beautiful son, Reef; but not completely. Not enough. I still wake up in the mornings, surprised to find the other side of the bed empty and wonder where he's gone before I remember.

People said I was slipping back into my madness when I started seeing him. Sometimes it was just a flash of his reflection in the mirror, an echo of his laughter or a glimpse of him when I take Reef down to the shore. But other times, he's there. Sitting next to me on the veranda, fishing with his trident in the shallows or lying stretched out on the sand with his hands behind his head. No one can see him except me. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am going mad again, but if that's the case then I don't care.

I watch Reef poking around in the rock pools left when the tide went out. He'll be five next month and already, he looks so much like his father. They have the same tousled bronze hair, though Reef's is slightly darker. Reef became linked to the ocean in the same way Finnick and I were. As if the blue-green wonder is part of us. Or that we're part of it.

But it's his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that reflect the sea itself and that I used to spend hours gazing into. Bright with life, sparkling with energy…those are Finnick's eyes. And now our son has inherited their beauty.

'Mama, look!' Reef calls, snapping me back to the world. I look over and find him holding up a small, green crab. I smile.

'Fantastic, Reef,' I say. 'But don't forget, you have to put it back before we leave.' Reef nods solemnly and carefully puts the crab back into the rock pool. I've been telling Reef about the sea even before he could talk. How important it is and how we depend on it for so much. He knows to respect all the sea life, including sea birds, and will spend hours searching rock pools as he is now to discover the wonderful creatures among them. He could swim even before he could walk and we go swimming every single day unless it's stormy and therefore dangerous.

A warm, calloused hand encloses mine. I smile and look over at Finnick who is now sitting next to me on the rock.

'Hey, Annie,' he says softly. The same words he said to me day after day when I was still mentally trapped inside the arena.

'Hey, Finn,' I reply, giving his hand a gently squeeze. He smiles at me, then looks out over the vast ocean with the sun beginning to sink behind it.

'Beautiful,' he breathes. 'Though not nearly as beautiful as you.' I give a quite laugh just as Reef rushes over, full of excitement. He's found a starfish.

'Mama, look! Look what I found!' he gushes, plonking himself down next to me and proudly holding out the starfish. I carefully take it from him. It's a beauty. Almost as big as my palm and a wonderful pinky-yellow colour that reminds me of an early morning sunrise.

'That's amazing, Reef,' I compliment, gently putting it back into his outstretched hand. He strokes one of its arms softly and it twitches, curling up to him slightly. He laughs.

'It's waving at me,' he says happily. I find myself laughing with him although Finnick's warm hand has gone along with his presence.

'Indeed it is, Reef,' I agree. 'It knows you won't hurt it.' He nods.

'I'd never hurt it,' he says, stroking the arm again. 'Not in a million years.' I reach out and stroke his hair, my fingers sliding through the tassels easily. He smiles up at me, those green eyes bright, his cheeks flushed from the sea breeze. 'I should put it back before it dries up.' I nod in agreement and stand up, taking his small hand in mine. He leads me back to the rock pool he found the starfish in and carefully lowers it back into the water.

'Bye, Starry,' he says, straightening up again. I lean down and kiss the top of his head.

'Bye, Reefy,' I whisper, pretending to be the starfish. He breaks out into a grin and turns to wrap his arms around my neck. I pick him up and hold him securely on my hip.

'The sun's going down,' I say quietly. 'Do you want to go home, or stay and watch?'

'Stay and watch,' he replies immediately. I smile and walk down to the water's edge until the waves are lapping at my bare feet. I carefully put Reef back down and he takes my hand and we both walk out into the gently swelling sea. The sun's straight ahead, half submerged by the sea and throwing out rays of red, gold and orange until the sky seems to be on fire. The contrast of the sky's fire and the sea's cool bluey-green takes my breath away.

'Mama,' Reef says quietly.

'Hmm?'

'Did Dad like the sea?' I look down at him in surprise, but he's looking far out, beyond the horizon.

'Yes,' I reply after a moment. 'Yes, he loved the sea. We used to spend all our free time down on the shore, out swimming or sailing in our little boat.'

'Is he out there now?'

'Of course. Even if we can't see him, he's always out there, watching us. He loves you, you know. He loves you so very much.' Reef breathes in a deep lungful of the fresh, salty air and lets it out slowly.

'I love you too, Dad,' he whispers. I squeeze his hand.

'If you're ever scared or lost, just remember that we both love you. He's never really gone as long as we remember him and he will always love and protect you.'

'Always?' he asks.

'Always,' I promise. Reef smiles, the breeze gently blowing through his hair. A strong hand lands lightly on my shoulder and his warm breath tickles my ear as he gently repeats the promise.

'Always.'

* * *

**God, I love those two together. Finnick and Annie are actually my favourite Hunger Games pairing with Katniss and Peeta in second. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review, even if it's just one word. Do it for Reef.**

**~EndlessMidnightSky~**


End file.
